Exodus 3 – Moses Encounters God
We recall that Moses, having fled Egypt for fear of his life, came to the region of Midian and began a pastoral life, helping to care for the flocks of his father-in-law Reuel (Jethro). Chapter three begins by telling us that Moses had taken said flocks to the “west side of the wilderness” (v. 1), coming to “Horeb, the mountain of God.” Through the coming chapters—and the Bible in general—we will notice that the location is referred to as both Horeb and Sinai. Most consider there to be no contradiction in the use of multiple names. Some have suggested that Horeb could be a more specific name for a singular mountain, while Sinai could be the region. For us, we will consider the terms to be interchangeable.
An “angel of the Lord” appeared to Moses from a fire burning in the midst of a bush. We usually think of the term “angel” describing heavenly created beings who serve God’s purposes, which is the case in many biblical instances. Here, however, the term is used to describe a theophany, a manifestation of God Himself. This manifestation is plenty to catch the attention of Moses. When the Lord saw that Moses had turned aside, God called his name. Moses’ reply of “Here I am” is in accord with others in scripture, such as Abraham (Genesis 22:1), Jacob (46:2), and Samuel (1 Samuel 3:4). It is also the response God will speak when His repentant people call upon His name (Isaiah 52:6; 58:9).
Before any conversation happens, Moses was given the instruction to remove his sandals (v. 5), because the ground where he was standing was holy. The symbolism of this act has been timeless. Various specific lessons have been drawn from this act, and we will not pursue them here. The foundational issue for us is the necessity of recognizing the holiness of God. Other passages such as Isaiah’s vision (Isaiah 6:1-5) and the scene of heavenly worship in Revelation 4 offer powerful reminders that encountering God is never a casual thing.
God begins by identifying Himself using the familiar formula “God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (v. 6). In this way Moses is clear that the God who is appearing to Him is connected to Moses’ own ancestors. It is the same formula Moses will be instructed to carry to the elders of Israel (v. 15-16) when he is sent to them. We can be fairly certain that Moses, while still in Egypt, was aware of his lineage from Jacob. As such it is not unreasonable to think that Moses, even being raised in an Egyptian home, would have become familiar with the promises made to the patriarchs. If this is so, what God is about to charge to Moses will not sound peculiar.
Verses 7-8 are God’s initial response. The language is reminiscent of 2:24-25 where “God heard” and “God saw.” Here God says, “I have surely seen,” “I have given heed,” and “I am aware.” As such, God says, “I have come down to deliver them” and to “bring them up” to a land of promise. The land is specifically mentioned in reference to the prominent people groups who inhabited the land, (sometimes collectively called “the -ites”). Most of these names are familiar from Genesis, where we read of the patriarchs and their families having previous interactions with these groups.
Verses 9-12 focus on Moses’ calling. God clearly says, “I will send you to Pharaoh” to lead the people out of Egypt. Moses’ first reaction is hesitant. “Who am I?” Most of us would react similarly when faced with such a task. God’s response to Moses comes with an assurance and with a sign. The assurance is, “I will be with you.” The particulars of this will be developed in the coming text. The sign is one that probably sounds odd in our reading: “When you have brought the people out…you will worship at this mountain.” It is a sign that Moses would see after the exodus rather than before, and serves here for Moses as a prophetic word that Moses would eventually see fulfilled.
Perhaps the most noteworthy part of this text is found in verses 13-14. Considering the challenge awaiting him, Moses presses for more information than “the God of your ancestors.” He wants a name, something that all other gods had. The sons and daughters of Israel had been in Egypt for many generations, and it is likely that they had been influenced to some degree by the worship of Egyptian gods. Yahweh, however, is not one among many gods. He is the one true Creator and Lord. As such, God’s response to Moses is as mysterious as it is simple: “I AM WHO I AM.” The phrase is a variation on the Hebrew word meaning “to be.” It reveals God to be self-existent, not a divine-like being that is part of the created order. It tells of God’s eternal and perfect nature.
God goes further in verse 15, after again stating that He is the God of the patriarchs, saying “this is my memorial name to all generations.” It is helpful to remember the struggle, observed from the generations of Abraham forward, to move from polytheism to monotheism. Beginning with the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, they would be called to acknowledge one, true, self-existent, eternal God who faithfully works on behalf of a covenant people throughout generations.
Once Moses gathers the elders of Israel, he was to go with them to the king of Egypt and make a petition. The request to be made was far short of absolute release. Rather, they were to say to Pharaoh that their God, “the God of the Hebrews,” had appeared to them, and that Pharaoh should let them travel three days into the wilderness so they can make a sacrifice to God (v. 18). We might think Pharaoh will take it as a reasonable request and allow them to go. God, however, knew ahead of time that Pharaoh would resist. This appears to all be part of God’s design. The sons and daughters of Israel would not get a free release from bondage. Instead, it would come through a demonstration of God’s power (v. 20). The “easy release” option would not help nations know God. The “mighty hand” option would send a clear message to Egypt, to Israel, and to anyone else watching.
Verses 21-22 add an interesting piece of information. When their freedom would eventually come, the Israelites would not leave Egypt empty-handed. Much of Egypt’s wealth would go with them.
Exodus 4 – Moses Goes to Egypt
Chapter 4 continues the dialogue between God and Moses. Moses continues to demonstrate hesitancy, which he voiced with the question, “What if they don’t believe me?” In verses 2-9 God equips Moses with three signs that will accompany him. The first is the transformation of a staff into a serpent, the second is the transformation of his hand into a condition of leprosy and back to wellness, and the third is the transformation of water from the Nile River into blood. In the giving of these signs, we can see God anticipating that the people would be difficult to convince. This was a reality for Jesus as well. He consistently dealt with people who asked for signs, yet refused to be persuaded by signs they had already seen.
In verses 10-12 God responds to Moses’ ongoing hesitancy. Here, Moses tries the excuse that he is not persuasive in speech. This would seem to be a valid point. Going before the King of Egypt would be a serious venture, one that would require a person who could speak with influence and power. God, however, was not convinced by Moses’ point—and why would He be? God essentially says to Moses, “I am the one who made your mouth and put your tongue in it, so don’t think I can’t put the words you need in your mouth.” What a great point for us to remember as we are sent into the world to share the Gospel in the power of the Spirit!”
At this point Moses abandons any further questions or excuses. Instead Moses indicates that God should just send someone else (v. 13). At this point we see that God’s patience is wearing thin (literally God becomes angry with Moses). Even so, it would seem that God makes a concession to Moses. While Moses does not get off the hook for the mission, he would get the help of his brother Aaron “who speaks fluently” (v. 14). The picture here reflects how God works through the Church, using people with differing gifts to accomplish the mission of one body (Romans 12:4-5).
With the calling at Horeb complete, Moses returns to his father-in-law and makes his request to go to Egypt (v. 18). Interestingly, nothing is said here about the encounter Moses has had in the wilderness. His request is to “return to his brethren in Egypt” and “see if they are still alive.” The request meets with Jethro’s approval, thus Moses and his wife and sons (of which there are two, ref. Exodus 18:3-4) prepare to travel to Egypt. Moses is able to go with a measure of assurance by the fact that those who had sought his death were now themselves dead (v. 19).
Regarding Moses’ age at major turning points, we will discover later (Exodus 7:7) that Moses was eighty years old when he was sent to Pharaoh, and his brother Aaron was eighty three. The Book of Exodus did not indicate how old Moses was when he fled from Egypt. A brief overview of his life recorded in Acts indicates that Moses was 40 years old at this time (Acts 7:23). Deuteronomy tells us that Moses was 120 years old when he died. This structures the life of Moses into three 40-year periods: his birth and maturity in Egypt, his pastoral life in Midian, and his leadership of the Israelites through the wilderness.
Verses 21-23 offer a further word to Moses regarding what will happen in Egypt. The theology here can be discomforting as it presses us to face a deeper level of God’s sovereignty. The interplay of God’s sovereign will and human free will is held in ongoing tension through scripture. Even though God’s ultimate will is irresistible (ref. Romans 9:19), we have no grounds to debate the rightness of God’s will (ref. Romans 9:20). This “hardening” of Pharaoh’s heart will be mentioned again as the plagues come upon Egypt in coming chapters.
Verses 24-26 tell of a curious encounter that happened on the way to Egypt. The text mentions an unspecified “lodging place” at which the Lord met Moses and attempted to put him to death. It is widely thought that this is hyperbole or figurative language, for if the Lord were truly wanting to put Moses to death, He would have succeeded. It may be that Moses became acutely ill, which was interpreted by Zipporah and the biblical writer as God’s way of addressing an overlooked requirement in Moses’ family. It would appear that Moses had overlooked the covenant act of circumcision for his sons. The reason logically could have been that Moses never anticipated returning to Egypt and reconnecting to his life as an Israelite. Of course, the text tells us none of this. All we know is that Zipporah circumcises her son (which one we are not told) and touches (throws?) the foreskin at Moses’ feet (genitals?). The act apparently assuages the Lord’s wrath and saves Moses’ life. Zipporah, unhappy at having to perform such an act on her son, calls Moses a “bridegroom of blood” to her.
The remainder of the chapter tells us of Aaron going into the wilderness to meet Moses. After they connect, they journey together to Egypt and begin to gather the elders of Israel as God had instructed.
